People's Democracy

THE 8^th Congress of KNE (Communist Youth of Greece) held from December 21-23, 2001 at Athens, the capital city of Greece concluded with the clarion call to resist all manner of exploitation perpetuated by the capitalist and imperialist forces.

In its political resoution, KNE pointed out that youth today are the greatest victim of the capitalist crisis and imperialist aggressiveness. Greece is becoming a conduit for the imperialist attack in the Balkans, the Middle East and Eurasia, and in conjunction with NATO and EU is contributing to the destabilisation of the Balkans. Under the European Market Union, (EMU), capitalist restructuring has moved rapidly and is accelerating. The country’s wealth land, harbours, airports, public enterprises, education and health are being handed over to monopoly capital. Rising monopoly profits are based on super-exploitation, development is based on increased unemployment, and capital accumulation at the expense of the living conditions of workers and their families. In Greece within the EMU 12.3 per cent of the children are living under the official poverty and 47 per cent are not able ever to take a week’s vacation. The resolution also point out to the changes in working relations, in education, social security and health systems, creating a repulsive present and future for young people, especially the working youth.

It is horrible to note that in Greece the youth’s participation in production is becoming all the more protracted, unstable and precarious. The majority of the jobless are young, 29 per cent of whom hold post degree qualification. Young people are becoming an important part of wage-workers, temporary work, part time jobs, work without social security and children work is multiplying rapidly; 54 per cent of the young population is unemployed. The problem of growing unemployment and underemployment has become a matter of serious concern for the democratic movement of the Greece.

The regressive changes in the educational system are hitting the working class of the country; the number of dropouts from high school has increased five times, resulting in the fact that more of them are turning fragmented training at earlier ages. Degrees that are worth nothing and the degradation of studies is becoming a constant reality for the majority of students; books and textbooks contain anti-scientific and incorrect points of view; knowledge is chopped up or fragmented. An educational system of many levels is being formed, a system that leads to the categorisation and the educational degradation of the majority of youth.

As the discontent grows among the general masses against the anti-people policies of the government the ruling class is using all sorts of measures to curb the voices of opposition. Democratic rights are being stifled; opposition to the anti-people policies of the government and struggles are being penalised, hundreds stand accused in courts. Terror is expanding in the workplace, school and university institutions. The new "terror-law" allows extensive informing, giving way to the violation of fundamental civil and individual rights. The government that has established racism as a policy, hunts down thousands of young immigrants living in Greece. Pictures of war are being shown every day on the TV, news stories of racism and xenpphobia, voices of national chauvinism alternate with European cosmopolitanism. All this is aimed at making people habituated to the monopolies, regressive policies feel weak and filled with awe, helplessness and apathy.

Despite all efforts of the ruling class to the contrary, the youth of Greece, under the banner of KNE is marching forward through impressive mobilisation. The struggle to win the hearts and minds of young people continues without pause. Young people’s oppositional behaviour is becoming more evident. Dissatisfaction and dissent are being generalised. The question about more general issues are extending, the conditions of mass politicisation within action based on today’s problem and needs, are maturing. The value of the collectiveness is strengthening rapidly, finding ways to express itself in the movement and in collective actions. Thus youth struggles are developing in a multi-faceted manner, in the anti-imperialist movement, the international solidarity against the new NATO order for the right to culture and sports, for solidarity with immigrants, against authoritarianism and oppression.

The 8^th Congress deliberated the recent imperialist onslaught on Afghanistan and its people. The Congress gave the clarion call to resist all forms of oppression and attacks by the imperialist forces. The terrorist attack on New York and the imperialist campaign against countries and people has made the work for the development of the youth movement against the imperialist war, a top priority for the youth movement today.

The end of history has not come; the people of the world are not giving up; society is evolving and moving; things can change. It is the duty of the world youth movement to come forward and carry forward the slogan of resistance against the imperialist aggressive. The youth struggles in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Palestine or elsewhere in the world, are indicating all the more clearly, who is to blame; imperialism and the organisations through which it imposes exploitation and strengthens its domination --- NATO, EU, IMF, and the World Bank.

The dynamic potential of the youth movement when it joins the ranks of working class and people’s movement, is clearly shown. At the same time, the ruling class and its supporting forces using the myth of globalisation, are trying to mislead youth and the people in general. They are trying to convince young people that there is no point in struggling inside their country that the ruling policy is unavoidable; they are trying to totally cancel out the struggle against imperialism.

The imperialist system may be strong, but it is not invulnerable. The road that leads to misery and exploitation has never been one-way. The people can change the course of the world and youth has a lot to contribute in this duty. As the situation becomes grimmer day by day, so does the potential to united broad sections of youth in the fight against imperialism the world over. The democratic forces have to undertake the strong resistance movement to channelise the discontent among the youth and general masses.

We know that the confrontation with the system of exploitation is difficult and will become even more difficult. We also know that the road to socialism is an ascending one and difficult. But it is our belief that this is the only road towards the future. We are optimistic not only because we are stating the truth, but also because we have justice on our side, and because we can find the strength to achieve it. We will grow from strength to strength through our struggles and mass campaigns and finally we shall overcome.

On this note the congress ended with a commitment to work for the building of a powerful youth movement.